UC app encourages people to play with food

Launched this week, the University of California's new food collage app allows users to use California-grown fruit and vegetables to create works of art. Built as part of a larger campaign underscoring the reach and relevance of public higher education, the university hopes to highlight all the unexpected — and delightful — ways that it touches the lives of everyone in the state, and beyond. Taking well-known phrases that include the word “public” — public offering, public records and public office — the campaign creates a twist on the understood meaning by connecting the phrase visually with an unexpected image.

In the world of food, a playful turn phrase “public offering” underscores that University of California researchers and educators are dedicated to the creation, development and application of research in agriculture. Interacting with the app, users can explore how UC's research has played a role in the food that you cook and eat every day. The facts at http://public.universityofcalifornia.edu/#produce will look familiar to ANR members.

The campaign is getting national attention, with Marion Nestle highlighting it in her Food Politics blog.

You can invite friends and social media followers to "play with their food," and perhaps win a $75 LocalHarvest gift card. To get started, visit http://public.universityofcalifornia.edu/#collage. You can see some of the submitted food collages on the UC Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/universityofcalifornia.

Here is a quick video showing how the app works: http://youtu.be/FekKwD_7uj8.

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